VIETNAM COASTLINE: FIGHTING AGAINTS ITS PRIVATIZATION
- Francesco Procacci
- Aug 20, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 5
A global design dilemma, told through Vietnam’s shores.
What’s happening along the coast of Vietnam is not unique—
but it is emblematic.
Across the world, beaches are being reshaped by invisible lines:
private vs public, gated vs shared, profit vs common good.
Vietnam, with its 3,000 km of shoreline and exploding tourism economy, has become a frontline case.
🌀 “Vietnam Coastline: Fighting Against Its Privatization” is a visual and critical libretto that uses Vietnam as a lens to explore a global issue:
How can we design coastal development without erasing access and identity?
📘 Inside the booklet:
A compelling comparison between two dominant global models:
• The City Beach model (Rio, Miami, Santa Monica, Barcelona)
• The Resort Beach model (Cancun, Doha, Honolulu)
A dive into Vietnam’s most iconic beach destinations:
Da Nang, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Phu Quoc—each revealing a different path, some inspiring, some concerning.
Urban design strategies that can restore balance between private investment and public access—starting with how we design the coastal road.
A proposed model for mixed development that is not only viable for Vietnam, but replicable anywhere along fragile coastlines facing pressure from tourism and real estate.
🔍 Who is this for?
• Urban designers, planners, architects
• Tourism developers and investors
• Municipalities in fast-developing coastal zones
• Activists, researchers, and all those who believe access to the sea is not a luxury, but a right.
📢 Why this booklet matters
Because coastal privatization is not inevitable.
It’s the result of policy, design, and choices made today.
Because the design of a single road—where it runs, who it serves—can define the destiny of an entire coastline.
Because what’s happening in Vietnam is happening everywhere:
in Southeast Asia, in Africa, in Latin America, and even across the Mediterranean.
📆 Coming soon
The libretto will be available for download on Gumroad here soon.
If you care about the future of the coast—not just in Vietnam, but globally—this is for you.
Design can protect the shore. Or sell it off, piece by piece. This is the time to choose.
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